Open House Event: This Ever-Expanding L.A. Home Was 24 Years in the Making

Showcased in our L.A. home tour series, architect couple Rebecca Rudolph and Colin Thompson’s Atwater Village Home is a testament to their creativity and their family’s changing needs.

Oct 19, 2024 - 15:00

Open House Event: This Ever-Expanding L.A. Home Was 24 Years in the Making

Showcased in our L.A. home tour series, architect couple Rebecca Rudolph and Colin Thompson’s Atwater Village Home is a testament to their creativity and their family’s changing needs.

Dwell’s Open House: Los Angeles event offers a rare opportunity to step inside three architecturally amazing homes on the east side. Read on for a peek at one of the projects our ticket holders are touring—and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about other upcoming Open House events.

If homes are snapshots of our lives at a given point in time, architect couple Rebecca Rudolph and Colin Thompson’s Atwater Village house is a veritable archive of meaningful moments since they bought the property in 2000. It began as a rundown bungalow that was remarkable for all the things it lacked. Dating from the 1910s and clocking in at 500 square feet, the structure sat atop cinderblocks turned on their sides. Other than a tiny garage, the only thing on the mostly dirt lot was a single, bug-infested tree.

Colin Thompson and Rebecca Rudolph sit in the living room, which is filled with artworks by Jean Giraud, aka — Colin Thompson and Rebecca Rudolph sit in their living room, which is filled with artworks by Jean Giraud, aka Mœbius, Emma Larsson, Sam Winston, Per Adolfsen, Geoff McFetridge, and others.
Photo: Ye Rin Mok

None of that mattered to the couple. "I remember our real estate agent asking us, ‘Are you sure you want to buy this house?’" Rebecca says. "But we were young, and our budget was under $150,000. This was under $150,000."

The couple with their dog Mabel at the custom bi-fold front door, which Rebecca designed inspired by the work of English artist Ron King, the founder of Circle Press. In addition to serving as the project's co-architect with Rebecca, Colin was also the home's builder. — The couple with their dog, Mabel, at the custom bifold front door, which Rebecca designed inspired by the work of English artist Ron King, the founder of Circle Press. In addition to serving as the project’s co-architect with Rebecca, Colin was also the home’s builder.
Photo: Ye Rin Mok

Tearing it down and starting fresh wasn’t on their minds—or in their budget. "It was pretty shacky—a little thing in a big field," recalls Colin. "But we always thought we could add on to it."